The Power Of A Generative Ecosystem in Health and Human Services

Nov 20, 2017Barbra McGann

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

And these days, it takes a network of villages – an ecosystem – to generate new levels of impact on people’s well-being. While tapping into the incredible resources of such an ecosystem is complex, digital technology and passionate people can make it happen. That’s the vision of the health and human services agencies in the US. It’s about creating thriving families – healthy, educated, and safe ­– at the heart of ecosystems because a child thrives within the nucleus of family. An ecosystem in this context is a set of organizations, systems, and services networked to create better outcomes. Health and human services agencies exist to harness the capacity of the ecosystem to create and sustain these environments and to identify and solve the root causes that challenge this vision. It’s a lofty goal, and one that inspires, challenges, and energizes an amazing group of public service leaders, as evidenced at the Health and Human Services Summit hosted by the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center (TECH) at Harvard University, developed by the Leadership for a Networked World in collaboration with Accenture and the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA).